Nearly abandoned as a baby on the church steps in old Brooklyn, Patty Montanari experiences a meteoric rise to success based on her personal tenacity and self-confidence. As a destitute young woman, she was befriended by a decent cop named Dante, who she married. But soon, the good man keeled over and died. A widow with two young boys, Patty now begins to move with the mob in this fascinating saga of an indomitable woman.
Alyssa Milano is terrific as Patty, who climbs the ladder after ingeniously turning a greasy spoon restaurant into a thriving night club. But unwittingly, Patty is spiraling into a lifestyle best described in the name she has bequeathed to the club: Pandora's box. She links up with a mid-level crime boss named Frankie Russo, who takes his marching orders from the boss of bosses (capo dei capi), Salvatori "Sal" Palmieri, played with great gusto by James Caan.
The film is much more than a crime caper depicting life in the mob. Patty improves her lot, moving from a modest Flatbush apartment to a classy townhouse in Prospect Park. But the film's relentless focus is a character profile of a woman who retains a moral compass within a sea of corruption.
By the time Patty has become the premier runner for Sal, she has has become deeply embedded in "la famiglia." And yet, she still retains the ability for clear thinking and the willingness to say, "no." Her devotion to her children is unwavering, and she is much more than the "wisegal" of the film's title. Patty Molinari is her own person with the ability to look anyone straight in the eyes and tell them exactly how it is.
Alyssa Milano is terrific as Patty, who climbs the ladder after ingeniously turning a greasy spoon restaurant into a thriving night club. But unwittingly, Patty is spiraling into a lifestyle best described in the name she has bequeathed to the club: Pandora's box. She links up with a mid-level crime boss named Frankie Russo, who takes his marching orders from the boss of bosses (capo dei capi), Salvatori "Sal" Palmieri, played with great gusto by James Caan.
The film is much more than a crime caper depicting life in the mob. Patty improves her lot, moving from a modest Flatbush apartment to a classy townhouse in Prospect Park. But the film's relentless focus is a character profile of a woman who retains a moral compass within a sea of corruption.
By the time Patty has become the premier runner for Sal, she has has become deeply embedded in "la famiglia." And yet, she still retains the ability for clear thinking and the willingness to say, "no." Her devotion to her children is unwavering, and she is much more than the "wisegal" of the film's title. Patty Molinari is her own person with the ability to look anyone straight in the eyes and tell them exactly how it is.